


But You Stayed

by paxemia (doctor_pax)



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Cursed Storybrooke, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, I just want everyone to love them as much as I do, Romance, inventing an otp from two different shows? painful
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-01-15 13:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18499720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctor_pax/pseuds/paxemia
Summary: Sending her companions off to live their lives for a while after the events of the new year, the Doctor investigates a temporal anomaly in a tiny town in Maine. She finds more than she bargained for when she meets the town's cold, regal mayor and her son, who is convinced that the populace is under a curse.Title is a lyric from Hold by Vera BlueRating subject to change.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the hiatus fever dream that is the Doctor in Storybrooke! Set before the curse breaks, after Henry has run away to Boston and come back with Emma
> 
> Tbh this started when my fiancée and I were thinking about what lady characters we'd like to see kiss the Doctor and we wrote a bunch of stuff together because we're gay
> 
> This is my FIRST FIC EVER, so feedback is very much appreciated!!!

The Doctor felt a sense of deja vu as she watched her friends walk away from the TARDIS. After the New Year they'd just had, they all needed a break; the work Ryan and Graham had done on their relationship had to be extended from both men to Aaron. The three were deep in conversation as they headed for the home Graham once shared with Aaron's mum.

Yaz left quite a bit more reluctantly, "I told you, Doctor, I'm with you no matter what. At least come for tea."

"Yasmin Khan, you magnificent human, I love your eagerness to see more. But go home. Rest. Spend some time with your family, who loves you so much. I'll be right back, I'm not abandoning you! And it's no time at all for me, I'll be fine! I'll just pop back in the TARDIS and jump forward a week!"

"A week seems like forever to just be on Earth now."

The Doctor tried to school her face into a smile that didn't betray her distress at hearing that; she knew the effect she had on her young companions and she could see the stars in Yaz's eyes when she looked at her. The young woman was enchanting and her faith in the Doctor was positively intoxicating. But it was dangerous for Yaz, and for the Doctor's hearts. Yaz didn't know what her forever really meant. This was a break for the Doctor as well - time to just be with the TARDIS, her one constant companion, a fellow immortal drifting through space.

"All of time and space will still be there in a week, and so will I, I promise you."

Yaz looked on the verge of saying something, but instead opted to throw her arms around the Doctor. "Please don't forget us," she whispered intensely, pressing a kiss to the Doctor's cheek so quickly that the Doctor felt she might have imagined it. And then she was gone, walking with purpose toward her family's flat.

The Doctor drifted back into the now-quiet TARDIS and looked up at the central crystal, "Just you and me now, love. Where to?" The TARDIS whirred pensively, a printer on the console spitting out a reading in Gallifreyan. "Maine? Brilliant!!" She ran around the console, flipping a switch and popping a booted foot up to kick a lever at the same time. "I've never been to Maine. Sea air and fishing boats and lobster. A week in Maine sounds like exactly what I need. And maybe I can correct a little temporal anomaly while I'm the-"

_**CRASH** _

A klaxon siren began to sound and the soft orange light of the console room gave way to deep red. The Doctor was thrown against a crystal pillar as the ship listed hard to one side, and she stood with great effort to work her way back to the tilted console. "Steady old girl, hang on, I'll get you landed!" She climbed over the console to the main lever, cranked the brakes, and brought the siren to an abrupt halt as the TARDIS righted herself and landed with a _thump_. The lights returned to normal, if a little dimmer than before.

"Alright, darling? That was exciting!"

The Doctor poked her head out of the doors, taking in her new surroundings. The forest was green and lush, absolutely beautiful; she could smell distant sea air - this place was coastal. She crouched down and scooped up a handful of roadside gravel - there was a long stretch of blacktop that was absolutely deserted - and popped a bit in her mouth. She spit it out almost instantly, tugging the sonic out of her coat pocket; she stretched her arm out long and scanned all around, finally landing on a space stretching across the road. Changing settings, she pointed the sonic at the air and flicked it on again. As the crystal spun, she saw a ripple float through the air like a barrier stretching into the sky. She couldn't help the excited grin that split her face.

"Well, this'll be fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE let me know what you think, I'd really like to continue if there's some interest (and probably even if there isn't tbh).
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr ([@fizzydoctor](http://fizzydoctor.tumblr.com)) with comments or questions or just to chat!
> 
> Next up: the Doctor hoofs it into town and meets a bunch of very friendly people with pun names


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a day later, and here it is: the first real chapter!
> 
> I have a wonderful beta now in the form of the lovely [lesbianglinda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianglinda). She keeps my prose snappy and my dialogue for the Doctor British, and for that I am forever grateful.
> 
> Enjoy!

The Doctor decided she was in no particular rush and walked briskly along the road away from the barrier or field or whatever it was that was making the soil taste rank.

After a bit of walking, she passed a wooden sign, painted with the words "Welcome to Storybrooke." _Well, that sounds positively idyllic_ , she thought, preparing herself for lots of introductions. Entering the outskirts of the town, she began to see signs of life; cars passing on quaint streets, people milling about living quiet lives. The town appeared very small, but although she received some quizzical looks, her bright smile earned her several in return.

She approached a young woman - who was wearing very short shorts, considering the weather - and chirped, "Hello! I'm not from around here, do you know where I could catch a bite to eat and a coffee?”

The woman looked her up and down and grinned, almost predatory. “Right here! Granny’s. Best diner in Maine.” She finished setting up the sandwich board outside the diner and led the Doctor inside, the bright streaks in her hair twisting in the wind as she walked. Fetching a cup of coffee and setting it in front of the Doctor, she leaned forward on her elbows and put a hand on one of the blonde’s.

“My name’s Ruby. So, tell me about yourself: what’s your name, where are you from, are you single?”

The Doctor sputtered around a sip of her coffee, eyes widening a bit as she tried not to flick them down the woman’s low-cut shirt. She shuffled rapidly through her old name options, settling on a mix of old and new to fit the new her. “Johanna! Dr. Johanna Smith, and I’m from loads of places. Sheffield, most recently. Good old UK, that's me,” she said, deliberately ignoring Ruby’s last question.

“Your accent is adorable,” the brunette responded, giggling.

“Ruby!” An older woman entered the diner from a back room, and Ruby snapped up straight, away from the Doctor. “Stop flirting with the customers and go refill the salt and pepper shakers.”

“Nice to meet you, Ruby!” The Doctor called out as she watched her go. She turned gratefully to the lady now approaching her from behind the counter, her wavy gray hair pulled back into a hasty bun, “She really wasn’t doing any harm, but I thank you for the intrusion anyway.”

“My granddaughter has a tendency to go after any new pretty face that walks in. Haven’t seen you around here before; it’s not often new people come into Storybrooke.”

“Granddaughter? You must be the eponymous Granny, then!” She stuck out a hand to shake, and introduced herself again; she quite liked the idea of being simply human for a while. Mundane. Not expected to save the universe for once, maybe just a small town. “Johanna Smith, doctor of books and history!”

Taking the proffered hand, Granny told her, “You can just call me Granny, everyone does. A librarian, then? Shame, our library has been shuttered for...well, I don’t remember the last time it was open, to be honest with you, Dr. Smith.”

_A closed library? Perfect!_ She thought, tugging the psychic paper from an inner pocket. “Precisely why I’m here, Granny! Ooh, I love that, haven’t had a granny in years, loved my grannies. Here!” She flipped open the paper to show her, “Certified in historical restoration, specializing in libraries and their contents! I’m here to reopen your library.”

Granny studied the paper, looking skeptical, “Why Storybrooke? There must be hundreds of run-down libraries where you came from, and even more in New England. And none of those would put you up against Mayor Mills.”

A red-haired man in round spectacles sat beside her, “Morning, Granny, my regular please. Who’s pitting themselves against our illustrious mayor?”

“Dr. Smith is here to restore the library,” Granny said, gesturing to the Doctor with her pen as she scribbled his order and moved toward the kitchen. “Dr. Smith, this is Dr. Hopper, our resident psychiatrist.”

“Archie, please, and I don’t know that you’re going to find an amenable spirit in Regina, Dr. Smith. She’s kept that library closed for...well, I’m not sure how long exactly, but many years.”

“You can call me Johanna. Or Jo! Haven’t had a nickname in a while, might be nice. I’ve made it a bit of a habit to travel to little towns like this one and fix up old libraries. I like to leave a place better than I found it, if I can, and I wanted to expand my efforts out of England. Thought to myself, ‘America sounds like an adventure!’” A tiny crease appeared above her brow, “Haven’t given my proposal to the mayor yet, but I bet I’ve stood up against worse.”

“You _definitely_ haven’t met Regina, then. The mayor is...a very powerful woman - and I don’t just mean political power. She can be...”

“A real hard-ass,” Granny said, returning from the kitchen and eliciting a chuckle from Archie. She placed a paper bag and a to-go cup in front of him and a large plate of eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast in front of the Doctor.

The Doctor’s stomach growled - she hadn’t realized just how hungry she was after jettisoning a dalek out of the TARDIS only hours ago. “I didn’t order anything! But I have to say, this looks and smells amazing, Granny,” she said, digging in.

“Call it fortification against a project proposal meeting with Regina. Tell me you at least have an appointment?”

“Nope! Thought I’d catch her by surprise,” she said around a mouthful of eggs. “She may be a hard-ass, but I’m _very_ clever and _very_ stubborn. And, not to mention, very good at what I do; shame nobody else has been able to convince her to reopen, but she hasn’t met _me_ yet.”

Archie took his bag, paying for the food and standing to leave. “Best of luck, Jo. I hope Regina hears you out, it’d be nice to have a working library again.”

Finishing her breakfast, the Doctor patted her pockets and asked, “What do I owe you?”

Granny smiled, “On the house, just this once. I like your attitude; it’ll be nice to see somebody challenge the mayor for once. Knock her dead.”

The Doctor grinned and nodded, “If she doesn’t run me straight out of town, I’ll definitely be back for more breakfasts!” She bounded toward the door and Ruby brushed past her, sliding a piece of paper into her hand.

“Don’t be a stranger, _Jo_ ,” she said, winking. The Doctor swallowed hard and found that opening the door was just a bit too difficult for her big Time Lord brain for a moment. When she finally found the handle and pushed it open, she smiled and gave a two fingered salute, heading back out into town.

When she was gone, Granny sighed at Ruby and said, “Regina’s gonna eat her alive.”

–––

The Doctor had seen the clock tower on her way into Granny’s, and resolved to head there for a little snoop. Deep in thought about mayors and temporal anomalies and libraries in disrepair, she nearly ran headlong into a small boy. He had been walking toward her with a wide eyed stare, thinking she’d stop; when she didn’t, he called out “Hey! Who are you?”

“Oh!” She bent at the waist so that she was at his level and stuck out her hand, exactly as she had to Archie. “Dr. Johanna Smith, but you can call me Jo if you like. What’s your name?”

He squinted and looked at her sideways, hesitantly shaking her hand. “Henry. How did you get in here? Nobody new can get in and I’ve never seen you before.”

She straightened and cocked her head to the side, intrigued. “What do you mean, Henry?”

“There’s a border around…” he sighed, stopping himself, “Doesn’t matter, you wouldn’t believe me, anyway.”

She put her hands on her hips and said, “Well, now, that’s an awful lot of assumptions to make about a person you’ve just met, especially one who’s done something you say is impossible. Try me.”

He looked around, making sure no one was listening, before whispering, “It’s magic.”

She leaned in, eyes widening, and whispered back, “How do you know?”

“Nobody can leave. When they try, something bad happens. Plus, nobody ages except me; if you ask someone to remember far back, they can’t.”

“Henry, I have to be honest with you...that sounds like some powerful magic. You seem like the type of boy that asks the right questions.”

He nodded, solemnly, “The Evil Queen who cast it used powerful magic,” he tugged his backpack from his back and pulled out a large, leather-bound book. It was embossed with _Once Upon a Time_ in gold lettering, and he handed it to her reverently, “It’s all in my book.”

She looked it over, flipping through its illustrated pages, “Books hold all the power of the stories in them, Henry, this is very important. I’d like to read it after I meet with the mayor about reopening the library, if you’ll let me,” she handed it back to him and resumed walking towards the library, leaving Henry where he stood.

He jogged after her, “You’re meeting with the mayor? She’ll never let you open the library again. She was so mad when the clock started moving again.”

Peering into a half-covered window, she said “I don’t like that word, ‘never.’”

“You haven’t met the Evil Queen.”

“I’ve been warned about her already, but no one else called her an evil queen. Do you know her well, Henry?”

“Not _an_ evil queen, _the_ Evil Queen. She cast the curse on this town, keep up! And yeah, she’s my mom. Not my _real_ mom, that’s Emma. The clock started moving because she came into town to save everyone.”

Satisfied with her snooping for the time being, the Doctor dusted off her palms, turning back to the boy with the book, “Henry, can I ask you a massive favor? Could I borrow your book? I’d like to learn these stories.”

“Really? So you believe me?”

“I _definitely_ believe something weird is going on here, and I think I’m gonna need your help to figure out what it is. But first, I’ve gotta go meet this Evil Queen. I have a feeling nothing happens in this town without her say-so.”

He nodded, passing her the book. “She controls everything.”

Running her hand over the embossed cover, the Doctor’s hand tingled with an energy she wasn’t expecting, and she snatched the hand away. She turned to look at Henry and saw hope mingling with a sadness that belied his young age. _Temporal anomaly or no, I have to help him_ , she decided. “Thank you, Henry, I’ll take good care of this.”

“City Hall is that way,” he said, pointing, “Don’t let her know you know.”

She nodded solemnly back, “Our secret. Wish me luck?”

“Good luck. You’ll need it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Message me on tumblr [@fizzydoctor](http://fizzydoctor.tumblr.com) about the fic or just to chat, I love meeting people!!
> 
> As before, I'm a brand new fic writer and feedback is deeply appreciated. Updates will usually take longer than a day, I just got very excited about the response to my little 600-word introduction and my friends and fiancee yelled at me to keep going.
> 
> Up next: the Doctor meets the Queen at last


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm officially dedicating this fic to my fiancée's single dimple, because seeing them [(puppythirteen on tumblr)](puppythirteen.tumblr.com) smile is the whole reason I'm doing this. I'm excited to hear you call me your wife.
> 
> Thanks, as always, to my beta [lesbianglinda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianglinda) for making my prose snappy and forcing me to spell "plow" and "jeweled" like a whole Brit. You're a saint, Em.
> 
> I'm [fizzydoctor](fizzydoctor.tumblr.com) on tumblr, and I love getting messages and asks and talking to new people!

In her office, Regina sighed, trying to focus on the stack of paperwork in front of her. The monotony of running a town that never changed had grated on her for quite some time, but things seemed especially dull today. What was the point of zoning ordinances when nothing would ever be built or demolished? She was startled out of her boredom by the trilling of her office phone; her secretary was calling, despite knowing full well she disliked being disturbed.

“Yes, Ms. Radcliffe?”

“Madame Mayor, there’s a strange woman here to - wait, ma’am, you can’t just - I’m so sorry, Mayor -” the voice on the other end of the line grew frantic before the office door burst open and Regina hung up the phone with a sigh.

The Doctor practically stormed into the room, projecting all her Time Lord confidence as she strode up to the beautifully appointed desk. “Madame Mayor, my name is Dr. Johanna Smith. I’m a historian and a bit of a handyman, and I’d like to restore your library to its former glory.”

As her mouth and feet finally stilled, her eyes followed and landed at last on the mythical mayor. The Doctor kept her chin up and her shoulders square, but her hearts sped up in her chest. She found herself standing opposite the most immaculately groomed, sharply dressed, and positively  _ regal _ woman she’d ever seen.

Regina watched the odd, yet fetching woman enter, concealing her shock at seeing a stranger, and raised an eyebrow, “No.”

“But if you could just listen to what I have to say -”

“Nothing you say will change my mind, I can promise you that,  _ Dr. Smith _ .”

The Doctor plowed on, not one to be deterred by an icy stare , “Mayor Mills, there is a building standing at the center of your town filled with books and wasted potential. I’ve restored loads of libraries, but those towns at least  _ tried _ to keep them open.”

Regina smiled mirthlessly as she pushed herself up into a standing position, though she held court behind her desk, “Alright, suppose I indulge your fantasy for a moment. You’ve come into my office empty-handed, so I can assume you lack the requisite paperwork to propose a renovation to a historical town building?”

“Well, no, I -”

Regina ignored her attempt at an answer, “What about a budget proposal? Do you plan to perform this renovation using the town’s capital budget or funds that you will provide? The renovations necessary to making the library and clock tower safely habitable are extensive, and building materials and labor are not free.”

“I planned to -”

“Now, assuming you have the budget, the labor, and the paperwork in order, I have no idea who you are. You’ve shown me no credentials, no resumé, and no references to prove that you have ever completed a project of this sort and, frankly, you’ve barged into my office in that  _ ridiculous  _ outfit,” she gave her an appraising look, “ _ declaring _ that you’re going to take over a project that teams of my own allocation have been unable to complete.” Her smile as she sat back down at her desk was amused and decidedly unkind; she believed she had won. “Good day, Dr. Smith.”

“I do have credentials, not that you asked,” the Doctor refused to be dismissed, flipping open the psychic paper confidently.

Regina’s eyes slowly flicked up to the Doctor’s extended hand, “Ah yes, a business card. That is precisely what I asked for.” She didn’t deign to give the card more than a fleeting glance before she scribbled a hasty note on some form or other, covering it with her hand and returning to her paperwork.

The Doctor could see that she was getting nowhere, and decided to try out a different approach, tucking the psychic paper back into her pocket before Regina studied it too closely. “Don’t you want your son to grow up surrounded by stories? I met him on my way here; I can tell you’ve done a gorgeous job raising an inquisitive, intelligent young man. He and the other children in this town need enrichment, and what better source than a library?”

Regina balked at the mention of Henry; this strange woman simply refused to leave her office and the last thing she needed was another blonde interfering in her relationship with her son. She gripped the edge of her desk, barely containing her seething temper, “Do not think you can couch your  _ entirely _ inappropriate interaction with my 10-year-old son in backhanded flattery.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just asking you for a chance, that’s all. Embrace a bit of change. If it doesn’t work out, send me on my way and you’ll never hear from me again.”

“You’ve heard my answer,” she said, eyes refocussing on her paperwork, and waved her hand as if to dismiss her.

“I heard the clock started running again, out of the blue. Building can’t be  _ that  _ run down.”

She looked up at her, fire in her eyes. “This is your final warning. You don’t want to get in my way, Dr. Smith. Now,  _ get out of my office _ ,” she spat.

The Doctor tilted her chin up defiantly, leaning down and pressing her hands to the surface of the desk. “Or what?”

“Or you will learn precisely what it means to be my enemy.” She smiled, her expression far more venomous than her previous glare, “And I promise you, I will destroy whatever reputation you think you’ve built for yourself.”

The Doctor smiled back, equally hostile, “I’d like to see you try.”

“Don’t underestimate me.”

The Doctor pushed back from the desk, shaking her head and chuckling lightly, “Oh, Madame Mayor, I think it’s you who’s sorely underestimated me.”

Regina clenched her teeth and gritted out, “Leave. My office.  _ Now _ .”

As she backed out of the room, the Doctor gave a cheeky bow and said, “See you around, Mayor. Good chat.”

As the door shut behind her, Regina let out a noise of frustration, unnerved by a stranger’s ability to shake her tightly held composure. She picked up her office phone, furiously punching in a number.

“Sidney. Don’t speak, just listen. Dr. Johanna Smith, learn absolutely everything you can about her. She claims she was educated at…” she looked at her note, shaking her head, “Oxford  _ and  _ Cambridge Universities, and that she’s associated with the National Archives of the UK. Assume she’s lying, those credentials can’t possibly be real. I don’t  _ care _ that it’s a common name, just get me information,” she bit out, slamming the phone down, uninterested in his response.

–––

As the Doctor left the mayor’s office, her thoughts drifted to Henry’s impassioned storytelling; having met the woman, she could see why a young boy might think she was an evil queen from a fairytale. She was calculating and poised, with an ardent temper roiling just under the surface, and she was strikingly attractive.  _ If you liked cold, dismissive women with intense eyes and full lips and… _ the Doctor shook herself out of that line of thinking, returning to the front desk at City Hall to retrieve Henry’s book.

She addressed the mayor’s secretary somewhat sheepishly, “Hiya, sorry Anita, I hope you’re not in too much trouble. I got a bit excited about that proposal.”

Anita looked down the hall, ensuring that no one - especially Regina - was listening, and leaned towards the Doctor, “Between you and me? The library is only technically city property because it’s a historical building. You want to talk to Mr. Gold, at his pawn shop; he manages that property and might be able to help you.”

Her eyes widened, “Why are you telling me this? I mean, thanks very much, obviously, but everybody in town seems sort of scared of her.”

The young woman removed her large reading glasses, and lowered her tone to just above a whisper, “They are, with good reason. But I’ve worked for Ms. Mills long enough to know she needs someone to challenge her, knock her down a peg. She doesn’t want the library opened, but it would be so good for the town, Dr. Smith.”

“Well, I appreciate the tip! And it’s Jo to my friends,” she added with a wink.   
  
“Good luck with Mr. Gold, Jo! If all goes well and you manage to stay in Storybrooke, you’ll have to come by and have dinner with my husband Roger and I,” Anita said, beaming. In a low voice, she added, “Let Gold know how your meeting with Regina went. They’ve got a bit of a friendly rivalry going.”

–––

_ Bit narcissistic for a shop sign _ , the Doctor thought, looking up at a shop sign announcing MR. GOLD: PAWNBROKER AND ANTIQUITIES DEALER. She pushed open the door, allowing her eyes the time to adjust to the dim lighting, and smiled as she surveyed the vast collection of curiosities on display. She took a deep breath, revelling in the musty smell of old things, once cherished and now simply waiting to be found again. The Doctor loved antique shops for their resemblance to certain corners of the TARDIS.

As there appeared to be no one on the shop floor for the moment, the Doctor didn’t resist her natural urge to poke around; she smiled brightly at a jingling mobile comprised of tiny glass unicorns, made puerile faces at a pair of grimacing marionettes, and scrunched her nose at the pages of a jewelled book that, oddly enough, the TARDIS failed to translate.

“Can I help you find something?” a voice asked, causing the Doctor to whirl around, snapping the book shut. Behind her stood a man leaning on a cane, his smile placid and his eyes slightly narrowed as he examined the Doctor.

She returned the book to its shelf and reached into her coat for the psychic paper, “If you’re Mr. Gold, you happen to be precisely the something - or, rather, some _ one _ \- I’m looking for! Dr. Johanna Smith, archivist and professional restorer of historical buildings. I’d like to reopen the Storybrooke Public Library and I’m told you’re the man to speak to.” She flipped open the psychic paper to show him her credentials, and he raised an eyebrow, his smile widening slightly to reveal a gold tooth. As he crossed to the main counter, she added, “I’ve been to City Hall and the reception there was a bit less, well, receptive than I’d hoped.”

He crossed behind the main counter, leaning on his cane, and rifled through some paperwork, “Yes, Regina can be quite difficult to negotiate with, and she’s fairly set on that library never again opening its doors. I, on the other hand, am intrigued. Tell me what you’re offering, and I’ll see if we can’t make a deal.”

The Doctor quirked an eyebrow at his bluntness, but ploughed on regardless, “Fairly simple, really: you allow me to set up shop in the library and I use my own equipment and my own two hands to bring it back to working condition. I expect nothing in return but to see stories in the hands of the people who live here.”

“The city condemned the building many years ago,” he said, handing over an official report on the library’s disrepair. “Your offer is an attractive one, though it does place both you and I in direct opposition to the mayor.”

“If you say yes, I’ll deal with her anger later.”

“Then I believe, Dr. Smith, that you and I are in business,” he said, extending his hand to shake.

A sense of unease settled over the Doctor’s shoulders, but she shrugged it off as she moved to shake his hand, only for him to pull his hand back at the last second.

“You understand, however,” he added, his unnerving smile not faltering, “that should this go wrong, you will find yourself in my debt?”

The Doctor chose to focus on the moment of triumph instead of the possible consequences, reaching out to shake his proffered hand, “Happy to work with you, Mr. Gold!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love reading and responding to comments and feedback, they _fuel me_. Hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> Next time: a newspaper hatchet job, discussion of curses, BANTER!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks to my magnificent beta [lesbianglinda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianglinda).
> 
> This one took me a bit longer, but it _is_ a bit longer, so I hope that makes up for it.
> 
> Enjoy! (especially you Jordan ilu marry me)

“So, did you have a nice day at school today, Henry?” Regina asked, sitting down to dinner with her son.

“It was fine.”

He was more sullen than normal, avoiding eye contact and shoveling his dinner into his mouth in an effort to escape talking to her. “Henry, slow down, you’re going to choke.”  
  
“Why do _you_ care? You can’t control me, I’m not under your curse.”

Regina looked at him aghast, but her reply was interrupted by the doorbell. She spoke as she opened the door, not bothering to see who it was first, “Whatever it is you want, I would thank you not to interrupt my...Dr. Smith?”

“Your Majesty,” she deadpanned, staring Regina in the face with her hands on her hips, ridiculous coat shoved to the side.

“Excuse me?”

“I told you that you’d underestimated me; I know who you are, what you’ve done. Henry told me.”

“Henry, what stories have you been spreading?” Regina turned and called out, only to find him gone from the table. “Henry!?”

“He’s not here,” Dr. Smith said, much closer than she had been just a moment ago. Regina felt a strong hand grip her upper arm and roughly turn her around. “It’s just you and me, Regina.”

“What do you want with me?” A tremor crept into Regina’s voice and her breathing quickened; their faces were almost touching, and a smirk grew on Dr. Smith’s face as she stepped closer still. Regina tried to step away from her, her back finding a solid surface - had the door been closed a moment ago?

“To give you what you deserve,” her new adversary replied, wrenching both of Regina’s wrists over her head and pinning them there easily with one hand, pressing their bodies together. Dr. Smith chuckled and Regina felt it reverberate through her own chest; a shiver coursed through her as the supposed librarian growled, “You know you deserve this, don’t you?”

She did. She stared into dark hazel eyes and nodded, lips parted slightly. “Get it over with,” she managed to breathe out.

Lips met hers in a bruising kiss, slamming the back of her head into the door behind her.

–––

Regina awoke with a gasp, struggling to catch her breath; she threw off the stifling covers, trying hard to ignore the desire pooled in the pit of her stomach. She may need to call on Sheriff Graham later.

Reaching for her phone, she rolled her eyes as she saw 15 missed calls and as many voicemails; no doubt they were all from Sidney Glass begging for more time to dig up dirt on Dr. Smith. He seemed to believe that she needed to be apprised of every tiny decision he made in his investigation.

The first voicemail was exactly as she had predicted: “Regina, it’s Sidney; there are simply too many Johanna Smiths to sift through. I know you expect to have information in your hands as soon as possible, but I’m only one person and -” She clicked to the next message, bored.

“Alright, I’ve narrowed my search to Johanna Smiths with doctorates, and nothing has turned up so far. There’s a dentist from Wisconsin and a literature professor from Texas, but none from the United Kingdom...I’ll keep you upd -”

She sighed, clicking through several nearly identical messages so quickly that she almost missed the only one from a different caller: “Regina, it’s Kathryn! David and I were on our way home from dinner earlier, and we saw someone in the library taking the boards off the windows! That’s so exciting, when did you decide to have it reopened? Call me back when you get a chance.”

Regina’s grip on her phone tightened as she continued to listen to Sidney’s frustratingly inconclusive messages and silently fume; the _audacity_ of that woman to defy her instructions to stay away from the library!

She reached the final message at last, “She’s no one. She simply doesn’t exist. Not at Oxford, not at Cambridge, and not on any research team with the National Archives. She’s inside the library, Regina, but I don’t know how she got there; no one saw her arrive. I think I can spin this for the _Mirror_ ; I’ll have a copy brought to you first thing in the morning.”

Sliding out of bed and into her robe, she swept down the stairs to fetch the promised paper at her front door; her breath hitched for a moment, remembering it as the site of her...uncomfortable dream. Shaking her head, she looked down at the copy of the _Storybrooke Daily Mirror_ Sidney had left for her, skimming the headline:

**DOCTOR** **_WHO?_ **

**Mysterious Woman Fakes Credentials, Sneaks into Library**

The headline was accompanied by a captioned photo of Dr. Smith uncovering one of the library windows; the caption read, “ **Possibly dangerous:** ‘Dr.’ Johanna Smith is not who she claims to be.”

Punching Sidney’s number into her phone with a scowl, she found herself forced to endure his smug posturing when he answered, “Regina! I take it you’ve had a chance to admire my handiwork? I’m particularly proud of the headline; I think it places the proper emphasis on the mystery of her identity.”

Regina let him trail off and stew in silence for a moment. Before he could speak again, she asked, “Are you quite finished patting yourself on the back? Sidney, I’d like to remind you of precisely what I asked you for: information. Not some half-baked admission that you can’t do your job, _information_ . If you were expecting praise for telling me and the entire town who Johanna Smith _isn’t_ , I am sorry to disappoint you. Now, if you can’t tell me who she _is_ , I’ll find someone else who can. Do your job.” She hung up.

She carried the paper inside and dropped it on the kitchen counter, so deep in thought as she brewed her morning coffee that she didn’t hear Henry pad down the stairs until he spoke, “Why do you do this every time a new person comes into town?”

“Henry, despite what you may think, I do not control everything in this town; Mr. Glass is in charge of the paper, not me.”

“But you told him to look Dr. Smith up, didn’t you?”

“I did no such thing, although it appears that I should have if she’s been lying about who she is and broken into the library. She told me that you spoke to her when she arrived, and I am quite certain I’ve taught you better than to talk to strangers,” she said, setting a glass of orange juice down in front of him at the kitchen counter.

Henry shrugged, “She seemed nice.”

She levelled him with a pointed look, “Plenty of people who seem nice are precisely the opposite. I don’t want to hear that you’ve had any further interaction with her, although I don’t expect she’ll be in town for much longer.”

“What are you gonna do to her, throw her in jail like you did to my mom?”

Regina closed her eyes in frustration, “Emma Swan is not your mother, I am. Now, eat your breakfast and get dressed for school.”

He scowled at her, but did as he was told. She left him to his breakfast and prepared for the day, carefully considering her clothing options; she planned on paying a visit to the library, and needed to make an impression on the interloper holed up there. There had been a lingering glance or two at her lips in their meeting the day before, and Regina intended to use that to her advantage, choosing a particularly dark shade of lipstick and pairing it with a body-hugging dress and tailored blazer. She couldn’t wear all the trappings of a queen - she often missed the corsets, jewels, and elaborate hairstyles of her days as a monarch - but this world had its own equivalent that could bring men to their knees. Or, in this case, women with proclivities that clearly swung toward other women.

–––

Regina would never admit it aloud, but the library already looked like less of an eyesore in the middle of town. All the newspaper and boards had been removed and the windows gleamed, having been scrubbed clean inside and out. _What motive could she possibly have for doing this?_ Regina wondered. Curiously, though work had clearly been done inside the building, the chain and padlock binding the front door were still in place.

As she approached, the window beside the door slid open, and a pair of booted feet began to clamber out. Regina stopped, watching Ms. Smith dangle her legs halfway out the window, reaching inside for something.

“What exactly would you call this, Ms. Smith, breaking and exiting?” Regina asked, amused to be catching her in the act.

Ms. Smith turned, breaking into a grin and waving through the pristine window, “Ah, Mayor, here already? I thought I had a bit more time before you showed up.” She dropped her feet to the ground, pulling a large piece of poster board out with her and taking it to the chained door.

“I believe I was explicit in my dismissal yesterday, and quite frankly I should have you arrested for what I’ve just witnessed,” Regina said, following closely behind her.

The poster board turned out to be a hand-painted sign, which Ms. Smith was affixing to the front door. In large blue letters, it read **UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT, GRAND RE-OPENING COMING SOON!** The letters were accompanied by little cartoon renderings of the librarian who’d so fiercely argued with her yesterday; the tiny blonde figures on the poster held books, hammered shelves, climbed on the letters, and rewired minuscule cartoon light fixtures. Regina scowled at the sign, furious that this stranger was attempting to make her criminal actions seem _cute._ More unusual still, she unclipped a carabiner jangling with keys from the tool belt she wore around her waist and unlocked the chain on the door.

Pulling the door open, Ms. Smith gestured for Regina to enter the library, “After you, Mayor!”

Against her better judgment, she obliged. As Ms. Smith entered behind her, Regina turned and took a moment to appraise her appearance: she’d shed her long coat and pushed her white sleeves up to the elbow; perched atop her head was a bronze welding helmet and there was that tool belt hanging on her hips. She was covered in dust and her hair was a mess, but she looked capable and strong and her expression was shockingly ebullient for someone who hadn’t slept.

Her many questions forgotten for the moment, Regina could only think of those strong arms pinning hers in place and those lips crashing into hers, which parted slightly at the thought. But the moment passed, and she took a step toward Ms. Smith with narrowed eyes, “Ms. Smith, if you had the keys, why in the world would you enter and exit through the window? And how the _hell_ do you have the keys?”

“I got them from the same person who gave me this,” she said, digging around in her trouser pocket, “Oh, hang on, it’s in here somewhere...ah!” She drew a folded, slightly crumpled piece of paper and handed it over.

Regina raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips as she read over the contract the Doctor had signed with Mr. Gold. Of _course_ he’d gotten himself involved. “Oh, Ms. Smith, I don’t think you understand who you’ve gotten yourself into bed with here.”

The Doctor pulled a face, her distaste plain, "Don't like that, definitely not in bed with Mr. Gold. He’s just given me permission to make repairs on his property, I’ve agreed to foot the cost, and frankly, if I’m honest, he’s not my type.” Her expression became more quizzical, “You’re calling me ‘Ms,’ not ‘doctor,’ why are you doing that?"

“Because according to a local investigative journalist, there is no such person as ‘Dr. Johanna Smith who went to Oxford and Cambridge,’ _Ms._ Smith,” Regina said with a satisfied smile.

“Well there wouldn’t be, would there? I didn’t publish or even enroll as ‘Johanna;’ being taken seriously in academia is sadly not a woman’s game even in the 21st century.” She nudged an almost penitent Regina with her elbow, and added, “If you wanted to read my dissertations, all you had to do was ask. I’ve got copies!”

Regina took a step away, smoothing the front of her dress with her hands, “Yes, well. I can appreciate that being a woman in a male-dominated arena is difficult. _However_ , Dr. Smith - that does not change the fact that you are performing unauthorized repairs in a building that has been officially condemned by the city. This,” she held up the contract, “is _worthless_.” She tore the contract in two and handed it back to the Doctor, whose face fell.

“That was a bit dramatic, but I see your point.”

Regina rolled her eyes but otherwise ignored her comment, “Now, if you’re not out of here by tomorrow, I _will_ be calling the sheriff. Good day, Dr. Smith.” She turned to leave, but the Doctor caught her wrist.

“Just come here for one second, Mayor.” Regina stopped, sighed, and crossed her arms over her chest, following the Doctor to the front desk. Her tool belt clattered as she hopped over the desk and fished for something in a drawer, withdrawing a thick stack of papers. “Here!” she said, passing the papers to Regina.

The official seal of Storybrooke decorated the top of the official condemnation report, which had now been annotated with red ink in a messy scrawl. There were notes on almost every page: things Dr. Smith had already done to make the building safer, and things she planned to do yet.

“Just take it with you, read it over,” she told Regina earnestly. “And if you’re satisfied that the work I’ve done makes it safe enough, come back for a tour. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.”

“I _highly_ doubt you’ve done enough to satisfy me, Dr. Smith,” she drawled. She hadn’t expected the buoyant woman to be so bashful in the face of a double entendre, but was pleased to see her swallow hard and blush. “I will look this over, though. If nothing else, it should give me cause enough to have you removed.”

“If you’re unhappy with what you read, you can carry me out of here in chains yourself! Though I’m probably heavier than I look, you might need some help. Still!”

Regina chuckled, in spite of herself, but quickly cleared her throat to cover it. “Yes, well. I really must go, but I’ll be seeing you soon one way or another.” She left the library, leaning her back against the door for a moment and cursing her own weakness; she couldn’t afford this sort of distraction. It was only as she was walking away that it dawned on her: Dr. Smith had never explained why she had entered through the window when she’d had the keys all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor's sign was inspired by [this work by @juanmao1997 on Twitter](https://twitter.com/juanmao1997/status/1044642516224495617), their stuff is so charming!!
> 
> Feedback fuels me, bring me all your comments, message me on tumblr [@fizzydoctor](fizzydoctor.tumblr.com), blease chat with me about this AU


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